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Holy Yum Chicken

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The name ‘holy yum chicken’ says it all! It’s one of the best chicken recipes you will ever have. The combination of maple syrup and dijon mustard may sound CRAZY to you but I assure you, it is absolutely phenomenal!

Holy yum chicken — the name speaks for itself. If you have never made anything from my blog, drop everything and make this for dinner tonight. I'm telling you, YOU.WILL.NOT.REGRET.IT.

If you’re just here for the first time and you are looking for something to make, this is probably the recipe to start with.

That is unless you fit into one of the disclaimers below — which, please don’t take offence to because it’s truly based on all the feedback I have gotten for this recipe since 2013.

And if you are one of those readers that have made this recipe before or heard of this recipe before (I’m telling you, it’s a really popular recipe), then you’ll know how freaking amazing this chicken is.

The name says it ALL!

Holy yum chicken — the name speaks for itself. If you have never made anything from my blog, drop everything and make this for dinner tonight. I'm telling you, YOU.WILL.NOT.REGRET.IT. #chicken #chickenrecipes #holyyum #easydinner #quickdinner #chickendinner #weeknightmeals

Holy yum chicken is the best chicken recipe!

I’m going to make an executive order right now and tell you to drop everything and make this for dinner tonight.

I’m telling you now…

YOU.WILL.NOT.REGRET.IT.

I’ve made this chicken countless times already.

Sometimes even three times in ONE WEEK.

Because 1. it’s soooo easy.

And 2., we are just completely, utterly, addicted to it.

It’s the EASIEST recipe, EVER and the tastiest.

It will make your taste buds SING and you’ll be doing cartwheels all over your living room.

I am so hyperbolic but it’s just such an amazing chicken recipe that if I don’t exaggerate my feelings, I feel like you won’t want to make this!

Seriously. If you’re not much of a cook or if you don’t have a ton of time on your hands, this is the dish for you.

I wish there was some technology where you can just poke your finger at your screen to try the sauce.

But, since there isn’t that yet, please please believe me!

What you’ll need for the holy yum chicken recipe

Check out how short the ingredient list is:

  • Chicken thighs
  • Maple syrup
  • Dijon mustard
  • Rice wine vinegar
  • Cornstarch

Yeah, that’s it!!

Holy yum chicken — the name speaks for itself. If you have never made anything from my blog, drop everything and make this for dinner tonight. I'm telling you, YOU.WILL.NOT.REGRET.IT. #chicken #chickenrecipes #holyyum #easydinner #quickdinner #chickendinner #weeknightmeals

What should I serve with the holy yum chicken recipe?

I get asked this question a lot and I always typically say you can serve it with anything you want.

I tend to like serving vegetables such as anything that is in season.

I love roasting them or even roasted potatoes.

I’ve compiled a great list of side dish pairings to go with holy yum chicken.

Since this chicken recipe is a combination of savory and sweet with a bit of tang, I would say more starchy vegetables are a great idea.

Tips for success with holy yum chicken

These tips/disclaimers..again, please don’t take offence or think I’m “talking at you.”

I only put these here because…if you have the time to scroll through all the comments…you’ll see the comments from the very beginning that caused this disclaimer section to even happen.

So yes, everything that I’m answering below…it happened one or way another with readers.

Like yes, people actually came to yell at me for improvising this recipe and not following the directions.

The tips are 100% needed.

  1. If you don’t like mustard, you likely will not like this dish. 1/2 the recipe’s ingredient is mustard.
  2. It will taste mustardy with a nice hint of sweetness! So again, if you don’t like mustard, don’t make this.
  3. If you don’t follow directions and want to improvise, that is definitely ok! But please do not come back to yell at me for a failed dish. The instructions are laid out completely below because I have tested it myself and it works the way it’s written below.
  4. If you do not use the right equipment it will likely not turn out either. 8×8″ pan means 8×8″ pan. 2 layers of foil means 2 layers of foil. Why? 8×8″ pan will keep the sauce together and compact and won’t cause it to spread out over a large surface area. If you put it in a larger pan, it will spread, therefore, causing the sauce to get cooked off and you’ll end up with dry chicken and little to no sauce. Double layering the foil insulates the sauces and the chicken, it’ll keep the sauce from burning on the scalding hot pan.
  5. Yes, it really is cooked at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. I’m not going to lie to you. Yes, it’s very high but it also works (proof: above pictures!) :)
  6. If you’re using chicken breasts, reduce cooking time to 25-30 minutes or you’ll end up with dry chicken.
  7. You may use bone-in chicken thighs. Cooking time is the same.
  8. Whole grain mustard is not the same as Dijon mustard.
  9. Rice wine vinegar and rice vinegar are the same thing. The names are interchangeable.
  10. If you can’t find unseasoned rice wine vinegar, you may use seasoned rice wine vinegar and vice versa.
  11. You can definitely use regular white vinegar or apple cider vinegar or champagne vinegar if that’s all you have on hand.

If you are a visual person or just like watching cooking shows, here is a video on how I make this recipe!

Holy yum chicken — the name speaks for itself. If you have never made anything from my blog, drop everything and make this for dinner tonight. I'm telling you, YOU.WILL.NOT.REGRET.IT.

Holy yum chicken — the name speaks for itself. If you have never made anything from my blog, drop everything and make this for dinner tonight. I'm telling you, YOU.WILL.NOT.REGRET.IT. #chicken #chickenrecipes #holyyum #easydinner #quickdinner #chickendinner #weeknightmeals

Holy Yum Chicken

The most popular chicken recipe on my site for good reason. The flavors are incredible and will have you saying, "HOLY YUM!!!"
4.69 from 74 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Julie Chiou
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Ingredients 

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken thighs (most of the fat cut and discarded)
  • ½ cup Dijon mustard , (no substitutes)
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup, (no substitutes. No fake Aunt Jemima stuff)
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, seasoned or unseasoned
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, for garnish

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

Equipment

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450 °F. Line a 8x8" oven-proof pan with 2 layers of tin foil.
  • In small bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
  • Place the chicken thighs in the foil layered pan then pour the mixture on top of it. Turn the chicken around in the sauce to make sure it gets all coated.
  • Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and let chicken sit for 5 minutes then transfer to a plate. Do NOT discard the liquid.
  • Immediately after plating chicken, whisk in the 1 tbsp. of cornstarch into the liquid in the pan. You'll create a nice, thick sauce to drizzle over your chicken. You need to do cornstarch mixing immediately because the liquid needs to be hot in order for it to thicken properly. If it's still not thickening after 1 tbsp., you can add a little more.
  • Sprinkle rosemary on top before serving.

Video

Recipe Notes

If you like things more tangy, I would add 2 tbsp. of rice wine vinegar instead of 1 tbsp. I did this the second time I made this and it was a nice tangy kick with the sweetness that subdued it. If you like things on the sweeter side, keep it to 1 tbsp. of rice wine vinegar. Regardless, taste the sauce after mixing it together and adjust to taste. :)
If making paleo: use regular white vinegar and sub arrowroot powder for cornstarch
Source: I Love Trader Joe's Cookbook

NUTRITION FACTS

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 327 kcal | Carbohydrates: 16 g | Protein: 24 g | Fat: 20 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Cholesterol: 113 mg | Sodium: 2589 mg | Sugar: 14 g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken, chicken dinner, dijon mustard, holy yum, maple syrup
Recipe Rating




Morgan

Sunday 19th of March 2023

If you double the recipe would you still shove it all in an 8x8 pan?

Julie Chiou

Wednesday 22nd of March 2023

no, i would put it in a 9x13 so they're not stacked on top of each other

CAROLE

Friday 24th of February 2023

Where is all that sodium coming from??

Julie Chiou

Friday 24th of February 2023

the grey poupon...1 tsp has 115mg of sodium

Erin Rock-Ballard

Friday 20th of January 2023

Good recipe. Simple. Easy. Tasted good.

Rose

Thursday 19th of January 2023

All I can say is WOW!! This was super easy to make and so delicious!! It was a hit with the entire family!!

Sarah

Friday 23rd of December 2022

Great recipe! I've made it with pure maple syrup but last night I was out and I substituted melted orange marmalade for the syrup. It still turned out great. My family loved it.